Owner of Atwater’s Club Tee Gee dies

ATWATER VILLAGE — Betty Bartlotta, owner of Club Tee Gee, died last Thursday, according to employees of the long-time Glendale Boulevard bar.

Club Tee Gee, with its bright yellow neon sign, has been a neighborhood fixture since 1946 when the original owners, a pair of World War II veterans, opened the business. In recent years Club Tee Gee has been frequently described as one of L.A.’s classic dive bars, with drawings and images of Frank Sinatra and Betty Boop hanging on the walls.

In addition to owning Club Tee Gee, Bartlotta has been involved in the Atwater Chamber of Commerce and other civic groups. The cause of death remains unknown, and The Eastsider is seeking more information from friends and family.

In 2006, the Atwater Village News blog posted a story about Club Tee Gee and Bartlotta on the 60th anniversary of the bar’s founding:

“The business was originally opened in 1946 by owners Joe Grzybowski and Neal Tracy, and has had the name Club Tee Gee ever since (Tee for Tracy and Gee for Grzybowski).

In 1962 Joe was introduced to an outgoing young girl in her 20s who lived with her family in Atwater. Her name was Betty Bartlotta and she was working as a secretary at another business on Glendale Blvd. Betty and Joe became close and eventually became business partners in Club Tee Gee. Sadly, Joe suffered a fatal heart attach in 1984 and died, but Betty continued running the Club.”

Funeral services for Bartlotta have been scheduled for Friday, March 4 at Cristo Rey Church in Atwater Village followed by burial at San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

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5 comments

I’ve had many a good night and bad night at the Tee Gee, the best part about the bad nights was going back in the next day and explaining myself to Bob and or Betty. Thank you for always being so understanding. Rest in Paz

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